Switched
by Coral Tawnies
Summary: Rapunzel is a legendary thief, raised in a gypsy caravan alongside four brothers. Her long golden hair is her trademark. Eugene is a lonely boy, raised without love in a tall stone tower. He doesn't understand why his mother seems to hate him. When their lives become tangled together, how will it turn out? And why are they both drawn to the strange floating lights? AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hey guys, and welcome to my first ever Tangled fanfic. I am aware that gender bending has been done on this story many times before, but this isn't like that. It is simply what could have happened. I hope you enjoy. Oh, and Tangled belongs to Disney. I don't own it. Of course. **

**Sylva**

Sylva watched, cat like eyes narrowed, as the guards carefully plucked the flower from the earth. _Her _flower! How dare they! They only needed it for their puny queen, Teresa. She needed it for her five children, her wounded, dying boys. She glanced down at the baby in her arms.

"Little Flynn…" she murmured, tenderly stroking a lock of brown hair of his forehead. She'd decided he should come with her on her search for the Rapunzel flower. It was too risky to leave him at camp. But now the castle guards were taking her last hope, her only cure, away from her. No. It wouldn't do. So she silently padded after the thirteen men, catching snippets of conversation.

"… critically ill,"

"Dying…"

"Last hope…"

"… The baby,"

"… Lose the baby"

Baby? Sylva frowned. She hadn't known Teresa was pregnant. Despite everything, the gypsy woman hoped the baby survived.

When the guards entered the castle, Sylva sped to the town square, where practically the whole kingdom was gathered, waiting for news of their precious Queen. She blended in effortlessly, quickly catching up on the latest situation. The queen had survived. Her flower was gone! Now all were waiting for news of the baby. Sylva knew she should return to camp, defeated, but something stopped her. Some part of her needed to know if the prince or princess would survive. Some time passed, and suddenly a shout went across the square.

"A princess! A healthy little princess, with golden hair!"

The kingdom erupted into cheers and music. Slowly, after brief celebrations, the centre of town began to empty, people going home to bed, hearts warm with the good news. Soon, Sylva and Flynn were left alone.

"Oh Flynn, I don't know what to do!" the mother confessed to her son, tears flooding her cheeks. Flynn looked towards the castle, making a soft murmur. Sylva's eyes widened. _Golden Hair…_ Of course! The new royal had healing hair! In seemingly moments, Sylva was in the castle, in the new nursery. She glanced down at the sleeping child. Her hair was like sunlight. The gypsy pulled scissors from her pocket, and snipped of a golden curl. Immediately it browned, dead in her palm. If she wanted the Rapunzel, she would have to take the child, hair and all. But she couldn't support two babies! The ticking of a clock reminded her she didn't have much time. Flynn let out a very quiet yawn. Sylva made decisions that changed her life, and lives of several others. She scooped up the princess, rocking her gently, and lay Flynn down in the girl's place. It broke her heart, but Sylva knew Flynn would be well cared for. She would raise this golden haired infant as her own, and the flower infused hair would keep her other sons safe for as long as needed. She laid a kiss on Flynn's forehead, cradled the princess, and stole away, vanishing into the night.

**Mother Gothel**

_Flower Gleam and Glow_

_Let Your Powers Shine_

_Make The Clock Reverse_

_Bring Back What Once Was Mine_

A stooped old woman sung to a golden bloom, and felt youth flow into her. Her skin smoothed, her hair turned jet black, and the energy! It flowed through her, giving her a feel of power and determination. But she heard footsteps, and Summa, or Gothel as she called herself now, quickly hid her precious bloom under a shrub. But as she ran, the shrub was knocked aside, and the palace guards stole her flower, her youth, for their Queen. She didn't deserve to live. Teresa had done terrible things, but she hid her past behind an innocent mask. So Gothel watched from afar, as her flower vanished into the castle, and her rage grew. She was unaware that close by, another woman was seething at the loss of the flower.

Gothel crept into the castle. Her flower was gone, passed onto the child. The child with healing hair. If she stole the child, youth would forever be hers, and Teresa would be devastated. Perfect. Gothel snatched up the child, not giving it a glance, and fled, cackling under her breath. She didn't realise that the baby she held was a boy, with feathery brown curls that didn't hold a trace of magic. A gypsy boy called Flynn.

**A/N Yay! First chapter done. Reviews would be nice. So would follows and favourites. They would make my day. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thank you so so so much to my reviewers, Doctor-Rapunzel-Charming, Me-me Rotamundo, and James Birdsong. Your lovely reviews inspired me to put this up extra early! Disclaimer: Tangled is not mine, peoples. **

**Rapunzel**

"Mummy, who's Flynn?" Rapunzel asked, combing her floor-length hair with her fingers.

"Huh?" Sylva didn't look up from the eggs she was cooking.

"Who's Flynn?" Sylva jerked suddenly, causing the eggs to fly out of the pan and hit Pascal, the horse, in the face.

"Flynn?! Who told you about Flynn, Zelly?"

"I heard Scrap whispering to Tom about someone called Flynn. They said he was dead. Who is he?" Pain flashed in Sylva's eyes.

"Mummy?"

"Flynn… Flynn is probably some character from some story your brothers made up. Don't mention Flynn again, honey. He's not real. He's make believe. A figment of the imagination."

"Oh, okay. And mummy?"

"Yes?"

"How long till I can go out thieving with Jake?"

"Not long now. Only a few years and you'll be ten. Then you can go out thieving with Jake, okay?"

"But-"

"No buts, Rapunzel Fitzherbert. You've just turned six today. You could get hurt. Now, why don't you go and play with your brothers?" Rapunzel trotted off obediently. Patch couldn't be far off. They could play leapfrog, or heroes, or make mud pies. Patch was full of fun. And full of sickness. Sometimes he had attacks, where he coughed and cried and kicked. Rapunzel would wrap her hair around his chest and sing her special song. That made him go back to normal, full of energy and laughter. It made her feel special. Everyone one looked at her like she was important, somebody worth noticing. Not just the weird titch with the all the hair.

"Zelly!" she turned towards the voice.

SPLAT!

A ball of mud hit her in the face.

"I'll get you for that, Patch!" and then she was laughing, running, chasing after her big brother.

**Eugene**

It was night. Mother Gothel was on one of her late expeditions. And Eugene was watching the floating lights. It was his birthday today. Mother Gothel had forgotten. She always did. But the floating lights hadn't forgotten. Every year, on his birthday, they were there, without fail. He was seven. Practically grown up. He should be allowed to go outside, and play with the gypsy boys he sometimes saw running and tumbling and galloping on horseback through the forest. But for now, he was content to watch the lights from the window of his tall stone tower, his prison, and pretend he was among them, floating up and up…

"EUGENE!"

A sharp voice, filled with loathing, jerked him back to reality. He quickly braced himself, built a wall to protect himself from his mother's insults.

"Throw down the ladder, you stupid, lazy…" he tied a very long rope ladder to the hooks on his window, and tossed it down to the ground, where it landed with a soft thump. Maximus, the chameleon, gave a frightened chirp as Gothel began to climb, and hid in a corner, blending in to the white stone of the wall. Gothel reached the window.

"Did you have a nice time, _mother_?" he spat the last word out, voice dripping with sarcasm and hatred. At only seven, Eugene knew nothing but cruelty. Gothel slapped him across the face. He forced himself not to flinch.

"I will NOT be given that cheek!" she tossed bread and a couple of berries at his feet.

"I give you food, a home, clothing! I look after you, and this is how you repay me? Nothing! You give me nothing! You are a filthy, vile, weak boy!"

"Why don't you set me free then mother? If you hate me so much?" she was breathing hard. Her eyes blazed. She spoke a simple word, almost under her breath.

"Teresa."

"Huh?"

"I said nothing!" she slapped him again, then turned on her heel and began to climb down the ladder at record speed. Eugene breathed out, lifting a hand to his face. He let the tears come. Maximus scaled his trousers and shirt and crawled into his hand.

"Why Max? Why does she hate me so much?"

**A/N There. Done. That was sad wasn't it? Eugene/Flynn and Rapunzel share a birthday, but he's a year older. I'm sorry my chapters aren't very long. I love reviews. Hint hint. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Happy Reading! Tangled belongs to Disney.**

**Rapunzel**

She urged her horse forward.

"Faster, faster, faster than you've ever gone before, A J! I know you can do it! Just a little faster girl."

She was flying, defying gravity, gliding faster than she ever had before, across the forest. With a laugh, she freed her hair from its tight braid, letting it flow behind her in a seventy foot stream. It was to tease her pursuers, mainly. She could hear them shouting in frustration, trying to slice it off with their swords. But she was too quick. They would never see their stolen jewels again. They would never catch her, Blondie, the legendary gypsy thief, and most wanted criminal in Corona. They would never bring her down. Today was her seventeenth birthday. Good things were going to happen today. She was sure of it.

Once she knew the guards were off her tail, she dismounted, bundled up her hair, and made her way to a steam. Apricot Jam bent her head to drink, and Rapunzel opened her satchel to examine her prize. A silver, ruby encrusted necklace, a gold ring and a precious bag of cinnamon. They would fetch a fortune on the black market, the cinnamon especially. Where it came from was a closely guarded secret, it was only eaten by royalty. She stroked the mare's soft coat and gazed at the castle in the distance. It was beautiful, every brick crafted from the finest quartz, every window stained glass, depicting beautiful portraits of the royal family. What would it be like to live in a place like that, instead of living nowhere, travelling on horseback across the wide barren lands of Southside, trading, thieving, deceiving, sleeping on the side of the road, living off the food she stole. She had left the little gypsy caravan long ago, when her brothers were strong enough to take care of themselves, and her mother had recovered from Patch's death. With a sentimental sigh, she fetched a pad of notepaper and a stick of charcoal from her satchel and began to sketch out the beauty of the distant kingdom. But then she heard something that made her eyes widen.

**Eugene**

Mother Gothel had been gone for weeks. She had gone after someone, she said, someone who had knowledge of what she was seeking. What she was seeking, Eugene didn't know. He was eighteen today. No acknowledgement had been made. In a way, not having Gothel here was a gift itself. Not having to endure her criticisms, her violence, and her wrinkled face. He sat in the windowsill, eyes closed, with Maximus, who had turned the exact chestnut of Eugene's hair, napping on his head. Without thinking, he began to sing:

_Bright lights_

_Almost starlight_

_Shining a million miles away_

_Drifting like there's no yesterday_

_Bright lights_

_Never fading_

_Distant golden flowers in the sky_

_Soaring to endless, endless heights_

_Lanterns_

_Cast your patterns _

_Upon the distant deepest lake_

_Reflections trailing in your wake_

_Bright lights_

_Leaving me here_

_Alone_

It was a song Eugene had written when he was ten. He didn't think it was that good really. It was just junk about the floating lights on his birthday. So he was very surprised to hear clapping. A green-eyed girl, around eighteen or so, wearing trousers (!) and a rather pretty embroidered tunic was sitting on an orangey horse, applauding. But what shocked him about this girl was her hair. It trailed behind her in a long golden snake, at least fifty feet long.

**Rapunzel**

It was a boy's voice, deep, clear and sweet. Singing a song. She slowly mounted A J and they trotted towards it. There, in the window of the tallest tower she had ever seen, was a boy, around her age, singing sweetly, his eyes closed, with what appeared to be a chameleon on his head. It was a bizarre, yet peaceful sight, and Rapunzel simply sat and listened. She was going mad. How had she not seen this tower before? She knew every nook and cranny of Southside. And why wasn't she running away? This could be a trap. The boy could have jewels worth stealing. She could kidnap him. But nope, she just sat there like a pile of dung. And furthermore, when he was finished, she clapped. He looked down, obviously startled. He was wearing threadbare dungarees over a dirty brown shirt and he had a mop of brown hair, and hazelnut eyes. His arms were bruised, and he had a scar on his cheek.

"Who are you?" they both said at exactly the same time.

**A/N THEY MET THEY MET! :D This is when the fun starts! Did you like the song I wrote? I wish I could put the tune into words. Review if you liked it! Review if you didn't! Add it to your favourite stories if you think it was worthy! Follow it if you want to read more! I'm in a really good mood today folks. I got the day off school. Oh, and did anyone catch the quick Wicked references I made? Love that musical. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Enjoy my longest chapter yet! (It's still very short…) Tangled is not mine folks. It belongs to Disney. **

Eugene was startled. Having never met another human being apart from Gothel, he suddenly felt shy, and vulnerable. His walls came up. And Rapunzel, well, as a thief, she was used to being hated by all who met her, but this boy was different. He wasn't living well, that was for sure, and he was thin, battered and dirty.

"I'm… Zelly. This is… Pascal and we're on our way to the Darkwood." Lies. They dripped off her tongue like syrup. She glanced upward. He still looked shell shocked.

"It's okay. I don't bite." Was that a hint of a smile she caught on his lips?

"Eugene." Behold, he spoke! "My name's Eugene."

"I liked your song."

"No you didn't. You thought it was ridiculous. You think I'm weird, and you're going to go, and forget you ever saw me." Eugene couldn't help but push her away. Not a soul had ever been good to him, admittedly he only knew one, but why would this girl be any different?

"Quite the contrary. In fact, I'm going to come up there right now," she was gathering up her hair as she said this, "and meet you. You shall show me around, and sing for me, and in return, I shall take you out of the tower, and-"

"No. How are you even going to-" _thwiiiiiiiiiiiiip _with an expert throw, she had thrown her hair up to his window, and it had caught on the ladder hooks, like a sort of grappling hook. Now she was hoisting herself up by her hair, leaving a startled A J on the ground below.

"Doesn't that hurt?"

"Not a bit!" another lie. Soon she was perched on the windowsill, and Eugene had grabbed the nearest object, a yardstick, and held it in front of himself for defence. Up close, he thought, she was very pretty, especially her eyes, the exact shade of sage leaves. He shook the thoughts off.

"If you come any closer, I will whack you in the head with this yardstick." She laughed, glancing around the room.

"What's with the writing?" she was pointing to the rounded walls, where he used paint concocted from mud and water to write his song lyrics. He glanced briefly behind him.

"Oh. That." In a flash, she was beside him, trying to snatch the yardstick from his grip. They had a mini tug of war, which Eugene won. He then hit Rapunzel over the head with the yard stick. She went out cold.

"Really?" he sighed. He had a girl, with a ton of weird shiny hair, on his floor. Unconscious. He prodded her. Nothing. Dragging a chair from the corner, he sat her in it. Then he tied her up with her own hair.

"What am I going to do, Max?" Maximus approached Rapunzel, gave her an uninterpretable look, and then stuck his long sticky tongue up her ear.

"YEOOOW!" she was awake alright, and very angry. "What do you want from me, 'Eugene'?"

"What do _you _want from _me_?" it was a good question, Rapunzel thought. What did she want from this ragged boy, with lifeless eyes? Why had she climbed up to see him?

"I want to help you."

"Oh, really?"

"How long have you been in this tower?"

"Eighteen years today."

"Wha… it's my birthday too. Eighteen years, huh? I can show you Corona. With that voice of yours, you could be successful, a singer, loved by all."

"No thanks." She was persuasive, her voice like honey, eyes like pools, but he wasn't giving in.

"Why ever not?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Well then, I guess I'll have to show you how charming I can be." With a flourish, she untied herself, lassoed Eugene with her hair, and pushed him out of the window.

"AAARRRGHHHHH!"

Rapunzel dusted her hands off, and waltzed over to the window. Eugene was dangling, inches above the grass, caught in a golden net.

"PULL ME UP, BLONDIE!"

"I will do nothing of the kind." She leapt out neatly after him, and they both landed on the ground, her gracefully on her feet, him clumsily, on his head.

"You're crazy! What are you doing you madwoman? How will we get back up? WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?!"

"Get on the horse."

"What?"

"Get on the horse Eugene!" Apricot Jam, who had been waiting patiently, pawed the ground with a hoof. Rapunzel fed her an apple.

"I will not!"

"Well where else will you go? You know nothing of this land. You could get lost, kidnapped, robbed or killed. Southside is full of thugs. I am offering you a ride and a guide, free of charge. It doesn't look like you'll be getting up there anytime soon." She nodded to the tower, which she had slicked with oil on the way down to make it slippery, impossible to climb. Boy did Rapunzel have some handy things in her satchel.

"You little…" with a face like thunder, Eugene boarded the horse. Rapunzel winked at him. He aimed a clumsy punch at her arm, but she dodged it easily.

"Now, if you could sing for me to pass time, it would be perfect…"

Eugene stayed silent. There was a lot he didn't know about Zelly, but one thing he did was that she had kidnapped him, lock stock and barrel. And he was furious.

**A/N Tee Hee. I hope you liked the way I wrote Rapunzel and Eugene. I enjoyed writing this chapter. I'm trying not to keep too much from the movie, but I loved the part with Pascal waking up Eugene too much to leave it out. Reviews MUCH appreciated. **


	5. Chapter 5

**My Chapters are getting longer! I hope you like this one, it features another song. Do I look like I work for Walt Disney? Uh Uh. Tangled belongs to them, not me. **

It was bucketing down rain. Eugene was soaked to the skin, and exhausted. He and Rapunzel had been riding for hours. He had squeezed his eyes shut and was muttering:

"It's a dream, a nightmare, any second now you'll wake up safe, it's okay, and it isn't real…"

Rapunzel turned and gave him a hard pinch on the cheek.

"Ouch! What was that for?" she turned to look at him, and a little bit of his hatred for her melted away. She looked exhausted; eyes ringed with black, neck stooped under the weight of her sodden hair, reduced to an unsure girl, not the sassy, over confident woman who'd kidnapped him.

"To show you that this isn't a dream."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll love it."

"WHERE are we GOING?!"

"Quit whining. You'll see soon enough." Silence for another half an hour.

"Eugene?"

"What?!"

"I wish you would sing for me."

"No."

"Just one little song? Pretty please?"

"What is your deal?! You kidnap me, take me from my home, and now I'm your servant?!"

"It would set a nice atmosphere, ease the tension. Besides, I didn't kidnap you. You willingly got on the horse."

"I hate you, you know that?" but before Eugene could use a vast array of colourful adjectives to illustrate his hatred of the girl in front of him, Apricot Jam stopped suddenly.

"We're he-e-e-re!" Rapunzel sang, bundling up her hair and tying it round her waist in a practiced motion. 'Here' was a small camp, with tents around a small fire, protected from the rain by a small stone structure. Everything was petite.

"What is this place?"

"The home of a cousin of mine." Rapunzel grabbed Eugene by the hand, and led him towards it. People gathered out the front, a woman with thick black hair coiled around her head at the head of the bunch.

"Cousin, I am glad to see you! Do you come bearing good news?" she glanced at Eugene in a way that made him feel extremely uncomfortable. Rapunzel gave a hearty laugh.

"No, no,_ cugina_, not like that! He is… well I suppose you might call him my apprentice. May we stay, perhaps a night, and share your food?" the woman bit her lip.

"I would welcome you, flower, you know I would, but food is scarce, hunting is scarce and warmth is scarce."

"I will help with the hunting, and cooking too. Plus, my friend Eugene here is an excellent singer."

Eugene opened his mouth to speak, but abruptly stopped when he saw the woman beaming at him.

"A singer? You know we value nothing more than a sweet voice! Very well then, I'm sure you can find space."

And this was how Eugene found himself huddled in a bunch of curious children, his first acquaintances out of the tower apart from Rapunzel. They were dirty, thin and scrappy, but there were no bruise marks, no scars, and no red rashes from slaps. The littlest girl, Luna, crawled her way into his lap, gazing up at him with shy brown eyes. She wasn't used to visitors, apart from second aunty long hair.

"Mister?" Eugene went stiff as Luna reached up to touch a bruise on his cheek. "What's this?"

"I… I crashed into a tree." Eugene said vacantly, but his mind was on something else.

"_You USELESS, WORTHLESS IDIOT! HOW DARE YOU!" Gothel grabbed him by the hair and slammed his cheek into the wall. "WORTHLESS, LYING PILE OF MUCK!" Eugene trembled, covering his face with his hands so she wouldn't see the tears, the weakness…_

"Mister?"

"Huh?"

"Can you sing a song?" Eugene was about to say no, no and no, but he melted at Luna's begging face.

"What do you want it to be about?" there was a hubbub of voices, rising up suddenly.

"The ocean!"

"The forest!"

"ME!"

"Bessie the goat!"

"Flowers and butterflies!"

"Cranberry pie!"

Eugene looked at Luna.

"You, Mister Eu…uj…uge…i…"

"Eugene. You really want a song about me?"

"Yeah!" he could hear a little tune in his head, a melody weaving itself.

_There's a boy _

_I used to know_

_His hair was mud_

_His eyes were coals_

_He had next to nothing_

_But he gave it _

_Everything he had_

_And he played_

_In a cold stone room_

_And he dreamed_

_Of a distant land_

_And he sang _

_Of fields and mountains_

_Until reality had vanished_

_From his head_

_Until the truth_

_The cold stone truth_

_Had vanished_

_From his heart_

_There's a boy _

_That I once knew_

_His scars and cuts_

_Are fading truths_

_His voice, it cuts through_

_Misty night _

_Darkness_

_Only firelight remains_

There was silence. And then applause. Some of the older women had tears on their cheeks, the children looking up at him in awe. Eugene had moved them with a single song; let something slip from behind the wall he had built. Gothel flew across his mind's eye. Surely these people couldn't be so much better than her. The warm feeling he felt, surely it was a trick, a cruel game with his emotions? How could the children be so innocent, unscathed by life? Surely it was impossible, surely it was a lie, soon to crumble into dust. His captor was looking across the firelight at him, her sage-leaf eyes burning with a whole jumble of feelings. Hope, anger, sadness, pity… trust. An absurd thought crossed his mind. He trusted her. These people, these impossibly kind and understanding people, they weren't like her. She was different, more like him. And she really did want to help him, didn't she? He was almost sure, almost. Yet somehow he couldn't let go of the tower.

Rapunzel had listened to the song. She had heard pain, dreams, life, and his eyes had come alive. No longer were they dead, dull, muddy puddles, they were warm and bright and blazing. Tender when he looked at the children. Luna had never so much talked to her, hiding behind the safe legs of an adult whenever Rapunzel approached. Yet she had climbed into Eugene's lap as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She thought of all the places she had yet to show him. She could see him on a horse racing beside her, laughing, stealing, and her partner in crime. It made her smile. And when she caught his gaze across the flames, she felt a whole manner of things, all jumbled up.

_There's hope for you yet, Eugene. You just need to learn to live life._

The first lantern was perfect, rising almost as soon as the rain stopped. A second followed, a third, then thousands more, all rising, floating. Both Rapunzel and Eugene felt a tug, a feel of something neither of them had really experienced.

_Home _

**There we are, done. Review to tell me what you thought of it, I would love that. Don't forget to follow or favourite it if you think it is worthy, a heap of you have done that, so thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Here we are, the next chapter. Sorry it took so long. Tangled is Disney's. I own only my OCs. **

_The shadows of his past were coming for him, clawing at his clothes and hair, screeching horrible screams that made him grind his teeth. The smell of blood hit him, so strong he toppled over, and then the shadows were upon him. He saw Zelly beside him. He called to her for help but she turned her back and left. Gothel was nearby too, laughing a horrible high pitched laugh, and all he could do was yell and yell as the shadows began to tear him apart…_

"EUGENE!"

"Huh?" there was Zelly, shaking him back to reality, out of the grip of the nightmare.

"You were screaming and yelling. Nightmare?"

"Y-yeah."

"Lucky the people here sleep like logs. You scream like a girl, by the way."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." They sat in silence, watching the last few lanterns drift into space. Eugene tried to remember what had happened. The adults had shooed the children off to bed, and soon followed suit. Zelly had gone looking for wood to stock up the fire. His eyelids had been heavy. He must have fallen asleep.

"Hey Eugene?"

"What?"

"Do you still want to go back to your prison?" when he didn't answer, she reached up to touch his cheek just as Luna had done.

"Where do you get all these scars from?"

"I crash into a lot of things."

"What is there to crash into in a small room?" he looked away. Suddenly he felt something soft against his cheek. Zelly had draped her hair over his face.

"Wha…?"

_"Flower gleam and glow_

_Let your powers shine_

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_Heal what has been hurt_

_Change the fate's design_

_Save what has been lost_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_What once was_

_Mine."_

Her singing wasn't perfect, slightly off key and too high pitched, but when she softly swept her hair aside, his scar was gone. Before Eugene had time to process what had just happened, arms went around Rapunzel's waist, and a well-aimed punch was thrown at Eugene's newly healed face. His head swam, and he fought to stay conscious. Zelly was being dragged off, and now he was bound with ropes… Only then did he give in to the blackness.

He awoke on horseback, gagged and bound. Sitting in front of him was a well-built man clad in armour that was splashed with symbols.

"Mmmmmffff!" The man turned slightly, giving him a look of contempt.  
"What's up, girly?"

"MMmmmMMMmmmmmmmmMFFfff!" the man ripped the cloth gag from his mouth.

"What is going on?" He exclaimed, scared and muddled.

"EUGENE!"

"Zelly?" He couldn't quite see her.

"Eugene! I… Don't… just… I…" He couldn't make out her words either, but the sharp scream that rang through the air he couldn't help hearing.

"Blondie…Zelly?" But there was silence. The man before him looked at Eugene with something like sympathy.

"Bewitched you, huh? Little witch."

"What?" But he was already dizzy, and confused, and when he reached up to touch his forehead, he felt a gash, thick with blood.

Eugene passed out again.

Mother Gothel crept quickly through the night. She could smell the youth, practically wafting through the air.

_Rapunzel_

She was so close…

Eugene opened his eyes, and then quickly squeezed them shut. It was blindingly bright. The room was sizzling hot, made from concrete. The legendary Corona dungeons. In summer it was rumoured you could be cooked to death, the prison cells gathered so much heat. Eugene knew this from a newspaper clipping that had fallen from an unsuspecting Gothel's pocket while she was in his tower. Maybe he would die here, alone, and no-one would care. A chirp came from his shoulder, as if to say, _I would care!_

"Max." Eugene smiled. Well, if he was going to die, he might as well sing something. For Maximus. _What about Zelly? _Something at the back of his mind whispered. He did not know where she was, or what it was she had done to deserve the dungeons of Corona, but this song would be for her too.

_Dawn settled_

_And the whispers of the trees_

_Began_

_All the voices of my sorrows_

_Sang_

_Yesterday, of all the days_

_You chose yesterday_

_Why not today_

_Two years _

_Perhaps forever_

_So throw me off the highest height_

_Drown my sorrows_

_Among the whisperers_

_When the secrets of the wind_

_Are out_

_Perhaps forever_

_When your sorrows are your only _

_Regrets_

_Maybe you'll wonder_

_Why yesterday_

_But why did you chose_

_Yesterday_

_Guess I'll never know_

_Yeah_

_I'll never, ever_

_Know_

After a slight pause, Eugene heard a loud snore. He crept across the floor, wincing at the sizzling sound his bare feet made, until he reached the door of his cell. The guard at the door was dozing, limbs twitching slightly, obviously lulled to dreamland by Eugene's song. He let out the occasional monstrous snore. A glint of bronze at his waist was the key to Eugene' prison. Heart racing, Eugene showed Maximus the key. The chameleon seemed to understand, so Eugene slowly poked him through the bars of the door. Maximus extended his long, sticky tongue and it wrapped around the loop of the key. It jangled as it was lifted from the guard's waist. The man grunted and opened his eyes. Eugene froze. But the guard's eyes seemed to look right through him. _Still asleep_, Eugene thought, _creepy_. He slipped the key off Max's tongue and turned it slowly in the lock, praying.

Click

The door was ajar. Eugene slipped through, silently punching the air. Then he paused. _Now what? _To find Zelly? To find the exit? Faint voices drifted down the passageway. Not knowing what else to do, he followed them.

"Blondie, if you do not reveal your real name to the court, we will be forced to torture you until you do. If you chose to reveal your identity, you will be beheaded for your crimes, and torture will not be necessary. Do we have your final answer?"

Silence.

Eugene had reached a large door, propped open only slightly. It was Corona's highest court. The furnishings, walls and floors of the place were red marble, and the members of court wore red silk. Eugene couldn't help but think of blood. And in a cage, wearing a red prisoner's shift, all seventy feet of her hair matted and dirty, was Zelly. She wasn't dead. But she soon would be. Frozen with horror, Eugene stood, watching the trial.

"Well, Blondie, do you have anything to say?"

"Rapunzel." She spoke in barely a whisper. "My name is Rapunzel Fitzherbert."

"And is this the truth?"

"I swear it." She turned slightly, catching Eugene's gaze. "The only truth."

"Would you be so kind as to list the things you stole from the kingdom of Corona?"

Stole? Eugene prayed it wasn't true. Not the only person he trusted in the world…

"A chest containing 100 copper, 1,000 silver, and 2,000 bronze. One watermelon. Sweet meats. A horse, a white stallion called Pascal. A pearl necklace, bottles of prized wine, three geese, a marmalade mare called A J, diamond earrings, a silk purse, violet and rosemary perfume, a vat of precious spices, two crystal figurines, a china set, a ruby necklace, a gold ring, a bag of cinnamon-"

"Well, well. I never saw you as the confessing type, _Rapunzel Fitzherbert_."

"I haven't finished. One bottle of the castle cook's prized olive oil." She gave Eugene a wink and a sad smile. He slumped to the ground.

She had lied to him. The girl he trusted, she lied to him. Zelly, no, Rapunzel, she was a thief. A good for nothing THIEF! She had stolen from others all her life, and not cared. So why would she think twice about stealing his heart?

**A/N **** Now I am sad. Review. Tell me what you think, pretty please with frying pans on top? This story has gotten lots of support, so thanks again!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, so after a re-read of this story, I realised it had a lot of loopholes and things that didn't make sense, so I decided to write a bit of history about Summa, Sylva and Teresa. Hopefully after I've finished it will be a bit neater. I was originally going to leave this to the end, but since I've kinda got stuck in a rut with the Rapunzel and Eugene part, this is a sort of mid-story prequel. Don't worry; I'll go back to the original story format soon. And it's going to go over two chapters. I hope you enjoy! Sorry this took ages, I suffered severe writer's block and this took many, many re-writes. Tangled doesn't belong to me, darn it! **

Four hundred years ago, three girls lived in an orphanage, each as beautiful as the next. Summa had beauty that was almost other worldly, as if she were a perfect china doll, or an illusion that would fade in a puff of smoke, too sweet to be real. She was fascinated by plants. Her three most prized possessions were a crate filled with seedlings in milk bottles, a thick dusty book in which she pressed leaves and seed heads, sketched things she could not press, and wrote her findings with a tiny stub of a pencil, and her flower. She kept the crate and book under her bed, hidden by an artfully arranged blanket, but the flower went everywhere with her, in a small pocket she had sewn on the inside of all her garments. It too lived inside a milk bottle full of earth.

Sylva was the opposite entirely. While Summa was dark, with a mysterious air and quiet distress, Sylva was bright, down to earth, and brimming with happiness. Despite this, she never spoke, only laughed. Sylva laughed a lot. When the other children kicked, jeered at, or hit her, she only giggled. When the matrons or dinner ladies or maids scolded and punished her, she chuckled. She burst into hysterics at random moments, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wore a pair of green velvet boots which she refused to take off. Indeed, when the matrons tried to pull them off, they would not budge. In her left boot she kept a little green notebook, which she was always scribbling in. No-one could read what she had written, because it appeared to be in a foreign language, or perhaps a language she had invented herself.

Teresa had a lot of hair. It flopped over her eyes and her face, ran down her back in twisty little braids, and flew behind her like a cloak when she ran. She was a petite girl, who had beautiful green eyes and delicate features behind the brown locks. Teresa painted. There were forever flecks of paint in her hair. She painted whatever was her's, her books, her sheets and duvet, even her clothes and shoes. No-one knew where she got the paint and brush from, or indeed where she kept such possessions, because when the maids searched her and her dorm, they were nowhere to be found. She was a mystery. Her voice was squeaky, and because of this, and the colour of her hair, she was The Mouse, and her timid nature made her the primary target for bullies.

They were friends, these three little girls. They shared a birthday, though Teresa was a year Summa's senior, and Sylva was a year Teresa's senior. They played imaginary games, games of dragons and princesses and mermaids and quests and ghosts and monsters. It didn't matter that Sylva didn't talk, or that Teresa kept tripping over her hair, or that Summa always seemed to be so twitchy. Together they were heroines, able to slay beasts and perform magic. But times change. They grew up, and their pretend fantasy didn't come to life as it used to. They grew apart, their friendship still there, but fragile as glass. One mistake and it would shatter.

And shatter it did

When she turned sixteen, Sylva was kicked out of the orphanage. She had no money. She had no voice. She had nowhere to go. In the end she became a beggar on the cobblestone streets. She stopped laughing. She stopped smiling. She only cried. Pity bought her food, but not enough to keep her well. She was starving.

And one day, she began to sing.

It was not a happy sound, rather a sound of hopelessness and heartbreaking sorrow. But it was beautiful. It cut through the air, making people shiver. Women wept. Men slumped to their knees. Children curled up on the cobblestones, shaking. Sylva's sorrows seemed to become their own. Only one listener seemed to be unaffected. A boy in a raggedy cloak stepped through the crowd of broken figures. He stopped beside the singing girl, and laid his fingers on her arm. She stopped her song. His touch was warm. His eyes were concerned.

"Are you okay, Miss?" She nodded. It was obvious to the boy that she wasn't. She had once been beautiful, he realised, once full of love and laughter. Those days in her life were gone. He wanted to help her. He wanted to bring her back to what she used to be.

"My name is Andrew." She nodded.

"Tell me your name, pretty girl." She turned away.

"Huh?" she twisted back to face him, and pressed a piece of silver in his palm.

"Why-" she gestured vigorously between herself and the silver.

"Silver… Oh! Your name is Silver?" she smiled. It lit up her face and melted his heart. And with the smile, the people in the street who had been hit with the heartbreaking song smiled too. They got to their feet, wiped away tears, and hurried away, more than a little muddled.

"Come with me." He said taking her hand. She allowed him to pull her to her unsteady feet. He saw the full extent of starvation. She was so delicate, so matchstick thin, he was afraid she would break. He picked her up in his arms, for she weighed nothing, and carried her to an inn. A silver bell jingled as he swung open the door. The place was lively, the smell of alcohol very strong. A woman stood behind the bar, lovely and expressionless as a marble statue. She caught sight of Andrew, and then of Sylva. Her eyes widened, and she rushed over.

"Sylva? Sylva what happened to you?" it was none other than Summa. She swept Sylva away from Andrew and half led, half carried her behind the bar.

"Soup? Can I get some soup please?" the woman was like a whirlwind, and Sylva was wrapped in a cloak and being fed warm chicken broth before Andrew could open his mouth to protest. He grabbed Summa by the arm as she rushed past. He was caught momentarily off guard by how cold her skin felt, despite the roaring fire a hive of activity.

"How do you know…I mean what… how?"

"She and I grew up together. Teresa! Teresa come here!" a girl rushed from the crowd, her face flushed. Her braided hair appeared to be tied around her waist.

"Get this man a room. And while you're at it, fetch me some blankets."

"This way sir." Her voice was squeaky.

"But I want to stay with Silver!"

"Silver? Sylva! Sylva's here? Summa, Sylva's here!"

"I know that, Teresa. Just get that man into a room, and keep him there, for heaven's sake!"

"Come right this way."

"But-"

"I said, this way!" he subjected, letting her shoo him in the direction of a staircase. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught Sylva's gaze. She smiled at him. He smiled back. And when he fell asleep in his tiny room, her song haunted his dreams.

**Part one, complete. And before I say anything else,**

**FROZEN WAS THE MOST AMAZING THING I'VE EVER SEEN OH MY GOD THE FEELS THE AMAZING ANIMATION LET IT GO AND IDINA MENZEL MASHED TOGETHER PERFECTION I CANNOT DESCRIBE MY LOVE FOR THIS MOVIE! **

**Ahem. Moving on…**

**Review and you will receive virtual hugs, cookies, and a pet llama. **


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